The Carefree Sect
The familiar voice belonged to Nanmen Shi, the captain before he joined the expeditionary force, a level 93 player, and now Pillar of civilization.
An hour later, the man, exuding a murderous aura, entered the room on time. As if in a hurry, he spoke directly without waiting for Nanmen Shi to speak.
"I know you have many questions. Where does Talent come from? What is the Essence of 'Ten Thousand Worlds'? What does the Final Showdown after 'World Progress' reaches 100% really mean? -- To be honest, we know some of it, and we don't know some of it."
[Pillar] walked slowly over and faced Nanmen Shi. The distance between the two was less than three meters, Nanmen Shi could clearly see the bloodshot light in the other's pupils.
"But child, none of that matters. All we want is [the Ten Thousand Worlds], all we want is the Future. What do you think?"
Nanmen Shi seemed to have picked up on some unspoken meaning. He tilted his head up slightly and then lowered it again, not because he wanted to say something but because he was afraid that what he heard would cost him his head.
"... The starry sea is vast, and humanity is insignificant. For the past three thousand years, we have gazed at the Starry Sky, yet we haven't even been able to leave our own Fixed Star system. Now we look up at 'Ten Thousand Worlds,' Star Master are flocking to us... If we don't open our arms now, are we going to wait for the opportunity to slip away?"
Nanmen Shi suddenly looked up. "You mean, to fully embrace [the Ten Thousand Worlds]?"
"We've fully embraced it; now it's time to take it a step further."
[Ten Thousand Worlds] is a kind of power from other civilizations. This consensus has been reached among the more than 30 billion people in the Yuncang Star System. The thought is brewing and has quickly split into two factions.
The Arrivalists and the Resistance Faction.
The [Pillar] before us is an out-and-out Arrivalists, and the most radical kind at that.
As for Nanmen Shi, he belonged to the Carefree Sect, so there was nothing to lament.
"I need you to do something for me, are you willing?" The murderous words fell lightly on Nanmen Shi, making him feel a little suffocated.
A powerful, irresistible Pillar stands before you, softly asking you to do him a favor, and asking if you're willing.
I was so scared I cried.
"Is this... the right thing to do?"
"Reality is neither good nor evil, nor heroes nor villains, only different perspectives."
Nanmen Shi pondered for a moment, then spoke softly, "I remember reading a theory that states that only 20% of people have their own opinions on an event, while the remaining 80% are merely blind supporters of those opinions."
"So?"
"Blindly following you, Lord Pillar."
On the edge of the world [ Under the Under the Starry Sky], thousands of people appeared in a very short period of time, distributed across dozens of edge islands, and then quickly and orderly formed up.
"The Twenty-First Army has assembled, communications are normal, and the strategic core is functioning correctly. Requesting instructions!"
"The Seventh Army has assembled, communications are normal, and the strategic core is functioning correctly. Requesting instructions!"
"..."
Every military has a strategic core.
Rather, it's more accurate to say that each army is built around a strategic core. The strategic core of the Twenty-First Army was Nanmen Shi's "Live and Die Together."
The Seventh Army is [Instant Death Immunity], the Eighteenth Army is [Second Life], and the Thirty-First Army is [Treasure Chest].
The first thing the expeditionary force did upon landing was to launch Mana powered mechanical devices into the air to establish a communication network.
The [Ten Thousand Worlds] panel does not have communication functions, only an email address. Players have to handle all communication themselves. The previous reconnaissance was also for environmental reconnaissance. A communication system was customized for the [ Under the Under the Starry Sky] world.
"Everything is ready. Let's begin!"
[ Under the Under the Starry Sky] The Edge of the World, Island Number Ninety-Seven.
Guarding this island is Barton, Forbidden Class from world number 7141, known as [Skull Offerer]. He specializes in flesh enhancement and shockwave skills and is at level Lv.84 in the [Ten Thousand Worlds] realm.
He was originally stationed on an island near the [Starry Sky Forbidden Land], but he was so eager for combat that he forced the Survivors on the edge islands to switch positions like a mad dog.
He was standing atop a naturally formed crystal cluster mountain on the edge of the island, gazing at the dense clusters of light in the distant starry sky, which were spreading towards the islands.
"They've arrived."
Barton licked his lips, his right hand making a grasping motion, and a giant warhammer, pieced together from countless tiny bone fragments and topped with a scarlet crystal core, appeared out of thin air. Visible waves of crimson energy rose from the surface of the warhammer, causing the surrounding ground to tremble slightly.
The communication module received Su Luo's message and automatically converted it into a high-speed audio message: "Island Ninety-Seven, enemy attack scale confirmed."
"Initial estimates predict approximately eighty units, with the highest level being Lv.82 and the lowest Lv.45. Two units are of the Legendary rank."
After confirming that the other side was all trash, Barton replied with a hint of disappointment, "Just these small fry? Scholar, what about the other islands?"
The voice message played emotionlessly, offering no response, and continued playing Su Luo's group message: "It's a diversionary force. Respond according to the pre-arranged plan, delay as much as possible, don't hold out to the death. If the pressure becomes too great, retreat to a nearby island."
"Withdraw?" Barton grinned, revealing a mouthful of strange fangs. "I can't read!"
Before he finished speaking, his cervical spine crackled like firecrackers, and a layer of dark red keratinous scales rose from the surface of his three-meter-tall body, constantly writhing.
A dozen seconds later, a dark red monster, several meters long and in the shape of a dragon, appeared on the spot.
Among the vast number of Survivors, there are quite a few who choose to modify their bodies to gain power, but there are not many madmen like him who have completely abandoned their human form.
In the distant sea of stars, the first batch of points of light drew near.
There were twelve streamlined assault boats, approaching at high speed in a wedge formation. Their hulls were covered in camouflage, making them almost invisible against the backdrop of the starry sky, but they could not escape Barton's monstrous double pupils.
He could see the energy intensity of the players inside the boat—their average level was around Lv.65 to Lv.75. In the leading boat, there were two players with particularly solid energy, who should be the so-called Legendary players.
He didn't wait for the enemy to enter normal attack range. When the assault boat formation was still thirty kilometers from the island, Barton moved.
Without a running start or any preparation, the crystal cluster beneath his feet suddenly shattered, sending him soaring into the sky like a boulder launched from a catapult!
Then, strangely, the moment he charged out, all the loud noises that should have erupted vanished without a trace. The seemingly terrifying giant monster had actually launched a sneak attack!
When the team's Legendary player spotted Barton approaching at high speed, he was already within three kilometers of the assault boat, and the entire team had less than a second to react.
The assault boat commander clearly hadn't expected the defenders to launch a preemptive attack. Conventional tactics would have involved attrition warfare, relying on the island's fortifications!
No matter what orders the captain gave, it was too late.
Barton had already crashed into the center of the formation. He swung the warhammer in his mouth in a wide arc, and a blood-red shockwave with a diameter of over fifty meters exploded outwards in a ring!